Pictured for posterity

QE boys have taken part in a once-in-their-lifetime experience – the shooting of a School photo.

A photograph of the whole School is taken once every seven years on the field in front of Main Building, giving all boys who complete their schooling at QE a chance to appear.

All pupils on the roll, from Year 7 to 13, are included, amounting to just under 1,200 boys. In addition, the photo includes the Chairman of Governors, Barrie Martin MBE, and nearly 150 staff, including the Headmaster, all teachers, support staff, the site team and the catering staff.

It took a whole morning to set up the equipment, while the operation to dismantle it extended into the afternoon.

The earliest known photo showing the whole School dates back to 1919 and was taken within a few months of the end of the First World War.

Parents will soon have the opportunity to purchase copies of the new photo.